close knit: the neighborhood yarn shop

Sunday, April 11, 2010

New from Noro

We received a shipment of Noro this week - all vibrant springy colorways and all cotton blends. We've got Chirimen, a DK cotton/silk/wool blend and Taiyo, an Aran-weight cotton/silk/wool/nylon blend. Either would look fantastic knitted up in entrelac.

My favorite of the new Noro, however, is Sekku, a gorgeous laceweight yarn in supersaturated colors - perfect for the Citron shawl. I love the yellow/golden/brown at the top left. Officially Colorway 1, I like to call it Tequila Sunrise, since it has a decidedly Seventies feel.

Noro, founded by Eisako Noro more than thirty years ago in Japan, uses a revolutionary process to produce its yarn. Tufts of colorful fibers are artfully arranged and spun together to create Noro's celebrated gradually changing colorways. Producing ecologically friendly yarns has always been important to Noro and this is an important consideration in the yarn's business and production practices.

If the colorways of Noro are a bit too dramatic for you, there are many possibilities for isolating the colors and creating a calmer, more subdued look. I recently used two alternating colorways of Silk Garden Sock for the Silk Kerchief from Kate Gagnon Osborn of Zeitgeist Yarns and am very pleased with the results.

Although this pattern is no longer available, you could try Andrea's Shawl by Kirsten Kapur. Or, any pattern or improvisation with two or three alternating rows would look wonderful. And, Noro softens up surprising well after blocking and washing, too.

Stop by the store to check out our large selection of Noro yarns and patterns and let us help you choose your next project. You can choose something subtle, something over-the-top or a create a true work of art.